Which gym machines burn the most fat?

There’s an ongoing debate about whether resistance or aerobic exercise burns more fat. And not all gym machines are equal when it comes to helping us do this – it really depends on your fitness goals. So if your goal is to lose weight, what are the best gym machines to burn fat?

AEROBIC Vs RESISTANCE EXERCISE

Cardio burns lots of calories, while resistance exercise builds muscle which increases your metabolism. The dilemma most of us have is deciding which exercise to do if our time is limited.

When it comes to fat burning, if you’ve only got time for one type of exercise then choose aerobic. According to a 2012 study in the Journal of Applied Physiology, aerobic training was the optimal exercise to reduce body fat. In fact, there was no difference between participants who did aerobic training and those who did a combination of aerobic and resistance.

WHICH CARDIO MACHINE?

You know to head for the cardio machines – but which one is best?

Machines which work the big powerful leg muscles burn the most calories. Stationary bikes burn 500-1000 calories an hour, rowing machine 700-1100 and treadmills 600- 1200 calories, or 100 calories per mile. In terms of calorie burning, treadmills are the clear winner.

TWEAK YOUR TRAINING

Ultimately your calorie burn will depend on the intensity of exercise performed on each machine. A tough 30 minutes on the elliptical machine will burn more calories than an hour’s casual jog on the treadmill.

High intensity exercise will get the most from your time - the latest research shows shorter periods of all-out effort burns the most calories, improves the ability of muscles to utilise fat, and increases the calories burned after a workout.

You can also do High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) in which you alternate periods of intense effort with easier recovery periods. Some machines will display these intervals for you.

Lastly, you can increase your calorie burn by adjusting the resistance or incline on the machines. Using high resistance is the best way to burn calories on the elliptical, while sprinting up an incline on the treadmill is the best way to burn calories!

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